The Z Word

One of Lit Hub’s Most Anticipated Books of 2024 One of Book Riot’s Most Anticipated Books of 2024  One of Geek Girl Authority’s 12 Most Anticipated Science Fiction Books of 2024 “This cinematic romp has something for nearly every reader; humor, gore, heat, action, and mystery all swirl in the San Lazaro desert.”—Booklist, starred review “With an endearingly messy protagonist and wonderfully complicated relationship dynamics among the entirely queer cast, King-Miller skillfully explores real issues facing the LGBTQ+ community while cleverly pairing the beats of a romance novel with the visceral gut punches of survival horror.”—Publishers Weekly “Sexy, scathing, delightful, and intimately devastating.”—Gretchen Felker-Martin, author of Manhunt and Cuckoo “Sharply written and filled with richly drawn, complex characters that I genuinely cared about, The Z Word is one of the most innovative and deeply affecting novels I’ve read in a while. Playful, acerbic, and utterly engrossing, it’s astonishing to realize that this is Lindsay King-Miller’s debut. I’m ravenous for more!”—Eric LaRocca, author of Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke And Other Misfortunes  “This book’s coming in hot! King-Miller brings a delightful appetite for rollicking weirdness, queerness, sexiness, and chainsaw prowess. An absolute blast.”—Hailey Piper, Bram Stoker Award–winning author of Queen of Teeth and A Light Most Hateful “Queer, quirky, and a rollicking good time, The Z Word is the perfect zombie novel you didn’t know you needed in your life. Come for the chaotic bisexuality; stay for the humorous, heartfelt tale about found family in a world filled with monsters.”—Gwendolyn Kiste, author of Reluctant Immortals and The Rust Maidens and winner of the Lambda Literary Award and the Bram Stoker Award “Good zombie stories peel their own skin back to expose the fragility and the humanity of the characters within, and Lindsay King-Miller’s The Z Word pulls it off with the best of them. Packed to the brim with drag queens, complicated relationships, and buckets of blood, The Z Word is scary, funny, gross as hell, and ultimately deeply touching. The zombie apocalypse has never been queerer—or more fun.”—Matthew Lyons, author of A Black and Endless Sky and The Night Will Find Us “Comic and gruesome in turn, The Z Word is that rare can’t-put-it-down, miss-your-stop-on-the-subway kind of read. (Ask me how I know.)”—Calvin Kasulke, author of Several People Are Typing “A gripping read about actual community and the dangers of corporate Pride that bites down on you like a wild animal and doesn’t let go.”—Mattie Lubchansky, author of Boys Weekend